Life Skills and Romance
by SunsetsAbound
Summary: HIATUSAnother baby fic! See what unfolds as the 6th years tackle a project, which involves raising babies! This story hopefully will be fun and serious. HaGin,RonHer
1. The Beginning

Hey everybody! First of all, I want to say now- this is my first ever fic, so bear with me! Also, any and all advise, critique or plot ideas are welcome. Just click the little blue button at the bottom! Click it!! Ok... anyway I really hope you enjoy this, if you review I'll put the next chapter out faster, and as this is a more explanatory chapter, the next will be more fun!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter! I only own the plot in this story, so don't sue me!

HEALING HANDS

Chapter One: The Beginning

The coldest day of winter so far was drawing to a close, and the Gryffindor and Slytherin 6th year students of Hogwarts were hurrying back into the warmth of the castle. They had just ended their Care of Magical Creatures class. Three, however, lagged behind.

"I'll kill that Malfoy prat!" Ron. "The stupid git, going on about Hagrid-"

"Yes, we know Ron.: sighed Hermione. "We were there too, you know. He's just blowing off steam because of his father being in Azkaban."

Harry, the third member of the party, stayed silent. It was really his fault that Malfoy's father was locked up- not that he felt bad, Malfoy Sr. was a Death Eater, and had tried to kill him last year in the Department of Mysteries. But still. No one should have to lose their father. _Or godfather... _Harry thought. He didn't have time to linger on Sirius, however-

"We've got to get to Life Skills class!" cried Hermione. "We'll be late, again!

The thought of being late to McGonagall's class made all of them pick up the pace.

Starting in 6th year, all students had to take Life Skill, taught by his or her Head of House. And, as the name implied, it was all about living on your own. So far they had covered basic plumbing spells, building your own home from scratch, and traditional wizard marriages (both Ron and Hermione had avoided each other at least a week after that- it was obvious these days how much they were really in love.) Many of the students were afraid of the class, it was always a mystery as to what was going to happen.

In the end, Harry, Ron and Hermione just made it to class on time, though they still received a rather annoyed glare form McGonagall.

"Today we'll be starting a new unit, Early Childhood Education-" the room erupted with groans from the boys and giggling and tittering from the girls.

"We get to study babies!" squealed Lavender.

"Silence!" snapped the professor. The students immediately hushed.

"There is no need to be so dramatic! This is a highly involved unit, and it will be based primarily on a project all 6th years participate in. _All_ of you-" she glowered at the boys, who looked horrified "- will receive your own genetically adapted pseudo child. You will then take care of it for 2 months. The projects have accelerated growth rates, so after the time you take care of it the project should be around 5 years old. If you treat your project badly, you fail and will be kicked out of my class. All records of the project will be kept in these blank journals-" she held up a thick, plain black book, "-and we will now proceed to learn about how to take care of a baby. Mr. Longbottom, can you tell me..." Harry inwardly groaned and slumped down in his seat. He did _not_ want to take care of a baby, he couldn't even take care of the people he loved.

_Sirius..._

After class both Ron and Harry walked out with rather dazed expressions.

"Blimey!" Ron said weakly. Just then Ginny ran up to the pair.

"Hey guys!" she said cheerfully. Then, noticing the looks on their faces,

"What's wrong?"

"Gin, you wouldn't believe what Professor McGonagall is making us do!" moaned Harry. "We have to take care of these baby things, and they do every thing real babies do, and we can't even use magic to- to-" Harry broke off, shuddering at the very idea of changing a nappy. Ron, in fact, looked rather ill.

"It's horrible, Ginny, and all the girls are back in the classroom, all excited about it." He added darkly, "Even Hermione."

Ginny, far from being sympathetic, seemed to agree with "the giddy gits" as Ron put it, and told him so to his face.

"Don't worry, Ron" she laughed, "You never know- it might be fun!"

Harry and Ron watched her flounce off down the corridor.

"She's nutters." Ron growled. Harry didn't respond, he was still thinking of Ginny's long, red mane floating out from behind her...


	2. The Name Game

Still don't own a thing...

I'm back! I'm just going to go ahead and write even though I just added the first chapter, because I really want you people to read the FUN STUFF! Anyway, please R and R! A special THANK YOU!! to Hiscefit for my FIRST EVER REVIEW!! I'm just hoping more of you are added...! But on with the story...

Chapter Two: The Name Game

The next day Hermione made sure Harry and Ron weren't late to Life Skills.

"We don't want to miss the babies!" she chirped, ignoring the two rather aghast faces behind her. Dean, Seamus and Neville seemed to agree with Harry and Ron's sentiment. The five of them sat in the back of the room looking horrified together.

"I think I'm going to be sick!" moaned Neville- this only caused the other four to edge away.

"Attention!" shouted Professor McGonagall. "When I call your name, you will come up here and receive a vial of the Insta-Child potion. You will then add a piece of your own hair. This gives the DNA for the pseudo child to copy- although the sex of the child is usually the opposite of whoever gives the DNA. Now, let's proceed...Brown, Lavender!"

Lavender quite nearly ran to the front of the room and back with the vial. Harry could hear Ron muttering under his breath,

"Nutters, all of them... should be in Mungo's..."

Finally, when the whole class had the potion, Professor McGonagall announced that they should add the hairs. Harry stared at the potion, willing it not to work. In protest, the potion gurgled slightly. Then all of the sudden-

"Professor!" squealed Parvati. "Look- there's a thing in there!" No sooner had she said this when POP! A baby had magically appeared on Parvati's desk, wreathed in pink smoke. A second loud POP! and Hermione suddenly had a baby as well.

"He's so cute!" cried Hermione, looking nothing like her usual studious self. The classroom was now echoing with the loud pops- and then it was over, leaving only a group of squally babies and pink smoke in their midst. Harry was quite shocked to see a naked baby girl squirming in front of him. _Oh Merlin!_ He thought desperately. The baby girl then opened her eyes and looked at Harry.

He had time to think, _She has my eyes, _before she opened her mouth- and wailed.

"WHAAAAHHH!"

She was immediately joined by at least half of the other babies. Panicking, Harry picked her up and tried to rock the squirmy little thing he had just been put in charge of.

McGonagall was quite pleased with all of the babies, and after a quick health check, sent them all on their way to lunch.

"Can you believe this? How long d'you think Malfoy will be laughing at us for this?" demanded Ron, who was looking quite violent despite the baby carrier and bag he was carrying.

"Yeah, I know." Groused Harry.

"Oh, honestly! Didn't you listen yesterday? The professor said ALL 6th years had to participate in the baby projects!" snapped Hermione. It was the first time they'd heard her speak normally since Life Skills- she'd been too busy cooing at her baby boy. Ron suddenly gasped.

"You mean," he said slowly, "MALFOY had to take a baby too?" Hermione nodded.

Harry turned to look at Ron, a devilish grin on his lips.

"Malfoy- with a baby." He said. Ron opened his mouth to laugh hysterically, buy Hermione quickly shushed him.

"You'll wake the babies!" she hissed. Looking properly ashamed, Ron snapped his mouth shut.

But upon entering the Great Hall, all three were sorely tempted to laugh at the sight of the usually vindictive-looking Slytherins holding fussy little babies. Malfoy, in particular, looked completely clueless about how to quiet the screaming bundle in his arms.

"This is too great!" laughed Dean, who had also noticed the Slytherins obvious confusion. The girls, however, were preoccupied.

"My baby is going to be called Anthony Oliver Brown!" Lavender said proudly.

"_MINE _will beRedmond Hermes Patil." Said Parvati, rather saucily. She evidently didn't hear Harry and Ron's snorts of laughter.

"And this is Brian David Granger." smiled Hermione. "What about you guys?" she asked. Ron and Harry stopped laughing and looked at each other. They really hadn't considered actually having to name the children.

"Erm..." stalled Harry, trying to avoid the glares he and the other boys were receiving. Ron tried to change the subject.

"Hey, Ginny! Uh... how was your test today?" he said hopefully.

"Just fine," she replied, "and do tell, what IS the name of your child?"

"Really!" huffed Hermione. "Girls, we'll have to help them."

"Ooh, how fun!" said Ginny. She squeezed herself between Ron and Harry and was now contemplating each in turn.

"Are there any names you like, before we start?" she asked.

Both boys had bland looks on their faces, though Harry was sure his was turning red.

_Ginevra,_ he was thinking, but quickly pushed that thought aside.

"Okay," she sighed, "how about... Camille? Georgia? Samantha?"

"I like that one!" piped up Ron, but he was quickly drowned out by the suddenly violent girls at the table.

"Brianna!"

"Marion!"

"Dolores...?" This one earned a quite decisive "NO!"

By this time Harry was wondering if he could take the baby and hide under the table. Their section of the room was gaining some rather odd looks from the other students and staff, and Neville's face now quite closely matched Ron's ears- which looked like over-ripe tomatoes.

Thankfully for the boys, Dumbledore stepped in before the naming of the children went any further.

"Good Merlin," he sighed, then raised his wand and-"QUIETUS!" The table fell completely silent, though a few girls were still moving their lips as if to continue the naming.

"Finally! I think you all have rather gone overboard with this naming. However, if you would truly wish to help the boys here, why don't you all write down a few names on some parchment and let the boys choose? They are, after all, the fathers." Dumbledore's eyes seemed to twinkle extra bright at this, but he said nothing more. The idea was well accepted, or if it wasn't, the girls were not able to object- Dumbledore had 'forgotten' to lift the quieting spell, and the boys certainly weren't going to help.

"What do you guys think of Beckham?" asked Dean. The 5 boys were now going through the piles of parchment.

"Dean... that's a football players name- not for a baby girl." observed Seamus. Harry looked up in surprise.

"Oh, I didn't think wizards payed attention to Muggle sports." Harry said in surprise.

"Well, for the most part they don't, but Beckham IS a wizard!" Ron answered. "You know- I think I still like Samantha, what about 'Anne' for a middle name?"

"Sounds good, mate." sighed Harry. He had gone through every piece of parchment, and still couldn't find a name.

_Except one..._

It was worth a look, anyway... he unfolded the paper...Amelia, it said, in curly script.

"Amelia." Harry said slowly.

"Hey, I like that one, mate." said Ron. "Use it."

"Yeah- I will, and a middle name- how about...how about Amelia Rose?"

"Works for me. Right then, ladies, listen up- Amelia Rose Potter, meet Samantha Anne Weasley. I now pronounce you best friends, in the footsteps of your fathers!" Ron said with a flourish. Harry smiled down at Amelia. Amelia yawned and stuck her little pink tongue out at Harry. _Maybe it won't be so bad_, thought Harry.


	3. The First Lessons

I'M BACK!!!!

I am so sorry for not updating in forever. But the real world calls-besides preparing to move to Alabama, I'm just recovering from a horrible bout with mono. Not fun…! Anyway, I'd really like to thank all of the reviewers-I love you all!!! I nearly died when I saw all the little emails-review alert!

tom- felton-luver1-2-2 – thanks! I love having reviewers who go in depth like you and tell me specifically what they liked. I will most certainly read and review your stories-I will do this for anyone who asks. (within reason!)

Danu3 – updating, updating, updating!

preety-lady-serenity – glad you like it, and may I say, I absolutely LOVE your story babies teach a lot of lessons, so cute!

Padawan Jan-AQ – (preening) thank you, thank you! muggleville is awesome, by the way! I absolutely love it!

ilovetom88 – again, thank you, and I'm coming up with more!

HogwartsFreaks1977 – and here it is…! Thanks!

korrd – no, they're not raising the baby together, but Ginny will most likely have a lot of time with the baby…time will tell…!

mysticruby – glad you like!

Artee and Sporky – I will try my best not to leave this for too long-I WILL finish eventually! Thanks!

Charmedsisters – yay, thank you!

And that's a wrap! On to the story, where the plot is thickening…(what plot…?) Let's just get on with the cuteness of Harry and Amelia…

Chapter 3: Learning Experiences

After lunch, the 6th years were excused from classes the rest of the day. ("To get adjusted." said Professor McGonagall.) So most of the students had retreated to the common rooms, where the apparently content, happy little babies, finally showed their true colors. It was now 10 or so, and they showed no signs of relenting.

"Blimey!" moaned Ron. "This-this THING has gone through 4 nappies already!" Harry's baby was currently in the process of being changed, herself. The process was exceeding Harry's horrible expectations, and then some. Though admittedly, she wasn't screaming like little Leonard. Parvati looked as if she would perhaps throw "Lenny" out the window—but for that matter, so did the rest of the common room. Amelia was really quite content to kick her feet and gurgle, as was (for the most part) Sammy and Brian.

"We're going to have to drag these things to _class_!" moaned Ron.

"I know." sighed Harry. "Can you imagine, we'll have a nursery in Snape's class…" The rest of his thoughts were quickly forgotten as Amelia decided she was done being quiet.

"Whahhhh…"she sobbed.

"Okay, okay, hush…Melia, how 'bout a bottle?" Harry said frantically. Sure enough, the baby was hungry. Harry sat and watched her guzzle down the warm milk. Simply happy that she was content, he rubbed her fuzzy little head—but surely she hadn't had that much hair this morning…? He frowned, then quickly remembered-_she's growing at an accelerated rate…_but not only her hair had changed. That couldn't be…

"A scar." he muttered. "But scars aren't part of DNA…" There could be no refuting it, however, and there it was, a faint, but visible, lightning bolt shaped scar on the center of Amelia's forehead. Starting to panic, Harry went to find Hermione and Ron.

"I don't know, Harry, but that is a pretty unusual scar you have." said Hermione worriedly. "Magic might be imprintable on DNA, I'll have to look it up…"

"Maybe you'd better ask McGonagall-"started Ron, but he was interrupted by…

"Ask me what, Weasley?"

Professor McGonagall, in all her night-capped glory, was standing not three feet away from them.

"Oh-Professor, my baby has my scar…" Harry trailed off.

"Ah, I see. Don't worry, Potter. Magical scars can indeed be passed on to offspring if the magic runs deep enough. In your case Potter, I'm afraid there's no doubt of the depth to which your scar extends. But you'll notice, her scar is lighter. I highly doubt that she has any connection to He-who-must-not-be-named. And before you run off to ask Dumbledore about that," she added, "trust me, we have already discussed it. Now I suggest you get back to your charges…Weasley, when was the last time you changed her?"

"Well." said Ron, slightly blushing. "That solves that problem. As the old bat pointed out, I have other ones to take care of…" Harry could only laugh, as Ron grudgingly made his way back to the line of changing tables adorning the side of the common room. Picking up Amelia, he went to sit in front of the fire, silently thankful his child did not have a crying or wetting problem. In fact, she really was very cute, especially when she yawned and curled up her little fingers…Harry might have nodded off, if it wasn't for Amelia sneezing in his face.

"Hey, Harry!" called someone, and he turned to see Ginny behind him. She came and sat next to him on the couch.

"Oh, I just got away from Ron whining about Sammy." she sighed, then eyeing Amelia, "Umm…Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you mind-if it's not too much trouble-could I hold Amelia?" she asked in a rush.

"Of course, here…just be careful to hold her head up…" Ginny laughed a little.

"Such a good father, aren't you?" Harry blushed-he hadn't meant to sound overprotective, but by the grin on Ginny's face he could tell she was only teasing. And so they sat, Ginny holding Amelia and Harry watching on as Amelia sleepily stuck her tongue out at Ginny.

"She must like you. Amelia's only done that for me twice so far." observed Harry. Ginny looked like she was in heaven.

"Well, I quite like her too. She's not too fussy or stinky, like the other babies." sighed Ginny. The perfect moment was ruined by Hermione and Ron's bickering as they crossed the room to join Harry and Ginny.

"My baby is still way smarter than yours." Ron said, though still gentle-he was arguing with Hermione, after all. Turning to Harry, he said,

"She already smiled at me! Just because Hermione didn't see it, she won't believe me, and she thinks her baby is so great since the thing won't stop smiling…"

"Ron!" protested Hermione, but was stopped by a noise from Amelia, who was now back in Harry's arms.

"Did she-" Harry started.

"She laughed!" cried Ginny. "Oh Harry, how sweet! Oh, but I've got to get to bed now," she said suddenly, "it's nearly 11:30…" She dropped a kiss both on Amelia and (a very surprised) Harry's cheek.

"'Night, everyone!" and was gone. Harry was rather glad Ron had missed "The Kiss", having been quite occupied with Hermione (drooling on her feet like a puppy), but Harry had a feeling that Hermione had not been so oblivious. So he quickly excused himself, claiming Amelia needed some peace to sleep (she was already out like a light, but no matter). As he settled down for the night, he couldn't help but be grateful to have a baby for an excuse…

WHOOO!!! And that's the chappie, folks...now review, review! And also, I'd really like some input on where I should take this story. Do you want a more serious tone, or slightly fluff? And does anyone want Amelia's scar to have some importance here? Sighhh...decisions, decisions...!


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